Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Designing Humanity(Pratt Institute, 2024-05) Saeed, Atef; Martínez Poppe, Emilio; Gracia Echeverria, MariaThe thesis examines how systems of domination are embedded in the design of the built environment, leading to tension in various aspects of human life. It focuses on how these frameworks can lead to exclusion, marginalization, and oppression of those who deviate from dominant social, religious, and political norms. For instance, the Jim Crow laws in the United States dictated the segregation of public facilities, including parks and recreational spaces. This influenced the design and accessibility of these areas based on race, thereby perpetuating spatial inequality and reinforcing systemic racism. The thesis then de-contextualizes these frameworks, translating them into contexts outside the design world. It challenges cultural assumptions such as ‘otherness’, non-belonging, and alienation, as well as the idea of design as a preconceived order. For instance, individuals who perceived certain groups - Palestinians and Muslims, respectively - as threats were more likely to dehumanize them and support aggressive policies, including torture. These examples illustrate how systemic biases and perceptions of ‘otherness’ can lead to violence and oppression, extending beyond physical environments into social and institutional domains. This analysis helps us reshape our understanding of these concepts. The ultimate goal of the thesis is to explore how design can foster a more inclusive and pluralistic world. It aims to challenge existing design paradigms and propose new ways of designing that are respectful, empathetic, and responsive to the diversity of human experiences.19 0Item Restricted GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN HOT CLIMATE AREAS: CASE STUDY OF KUWAIT(University of Manchester, 2023-08-28) Almousa, Shahad; Ravetz, JoeGreen infrastructure is a challenge for cities in hot climate areas due to the heat, climate change, policy, nature of existing GI, and deficiency of resources. Kuwait is one of many countries that suffers from several challenges due to its desert-type climate. It lacks natural greenery and does not have adequate built green infrastructure yet. Due to it being a relatively new country compared to others in the same region it won’t be difficult to re-establish its urban design layers. The current response to urban heat island effects push designers towards indoor green infrastructure. This study aims to investigate the effects of increased outdoor GI, to show that outdoor green infrastructure is preferred in Kuwait and proposes changes in city planning. Variables of success are dynamic and in the context of Kuwait don’t look the same as variables of success elsewhere, namely where green infrastructure has been a core part of urban design. Architects and planners in Kuwait advocate for greener urban areas and cities. Their claim is that green infrastructure is, in fact, applicable in hot climate areas if the investment was put towards the correct resources. This study aims to push forth and encourage the addition of green infrastructure in hot climate areas and more importantly encourage future and current planners and designers to act towards greener cities.27 0Item Restricted Resonance in Dissonance: Noise and the Aesthetics of Auditory Abstraction(Pratt Institute, 2024-06-29) Basowad, Mariam Ali S; Liebergesell, Alex; Echeverria, Maria Gracia“Dissonance,” “discordance,” and “cacophony” are among the countless negative connotations associated with noise in the fields of communication, musicology, and sound studies. In these contexts, noise is often perceived as an “interference” that needs to be mitigated and controlled. Similar biases exist in communications design, influenced partly by a historical preference for clarity, order, and coherence, coupled with the belief that noise diverges from conventional design principles. However, in this thesis, noise is presented as an event, a flux, a multisensory entity, and, most importantly, a form of emancipation from established artistic norms. This thesis aims to explore the vital role of abstract sonic noise in communication, considering how to craft more resonant and immersive experiences and unlock new possibilities for creativity and expression. To achieve this objective, the thesis surveys sound, philosophy, and communication studies, drawing upon the insights of esteemed philosophers and composers, including Jacques Attali, Salomé Voegelin, and Luigi Russolo. Additionally, it investigates historical and contemporary practices of incorporating noise in creative fields, such as music and audiovisual art. Through a synthesis of theoretical and practical experimentation, this thesis demonstrates the effectiveness of noise as a communicative and resonant medium.21 0Item Restricted THE EFFECTS OF MODELING IN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY ON THE DESIGN PROCESS(University of Florida, 2024-05-06) Aldhaferi, Aishah; Mejia-Puig, Luis; Platt, LisaThe evolution of design tools and techniques has continually transformed how designers conceive and refine their visions. Each leap forward has offered new avenues to explore and express creative ideas, from hand sketches to physical prototypes to digital 3D models. This study delves into how immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environments impact the design process by examining the creativity of design outcomes and cognitive load (CL). Design students from the University of Florida were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, immersive (VR) versus non-immersive (PC), and tasked with a design brief. Data collection included questionnaires, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) devices, and NASA-TLX to measure CL. The designed outcomes were evaluated by a panel of design experts to ascertain the level of creativity. The findings suggest that immersive VR environments significantly enhance design outcomes' novelty and innovative potential, suggesting a heightened capacity for creative ideation. Conversely, non-immersive environments were more conducive in refining and finalizing the creative designs, pointing to their strengths in detail-oriented tasks. Interestingly, while the overall CL did not significantly differ between the two environments, immersive VR was associated with increased physical demand and perceived task difficulty. When exploring the relationship between creativity and CL, the analysis showed a statistically significant inverse relationship, demonstrating that an increase in CL correlates with lower creativity in the design outcomes.30 0Item Restricted Phenomenological Inquiry into Essence Chairs: Unveiling Subjective Significance(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-20) Alsalem, Abdullah; Parsons, Abdullah; Gomez, CeciEssence chairs embody a design philosophy that seeks to uncover the fundamental nature and significance of chairs through a phenomenological approach. Phenomenology, as applied to design, emphasizes the subjective experience of objects, shifting focus from their objective qualities to their essence as perceived by individuals. Essence chairs are thoughtfully crafted to evoke a sensory and contemplative experience, inviting users to engage with the chair beyond its functionality. By employing phenomenological reduction, designers strip away preconceptions and biases, enabling a deeper understanding of the chair’s essential qualities. The aim is to create chairs that resonate with users on a profound level, prompting reflection, connection, and a heightened appreciation for the underlying essence of design.48 0Item Restricted From MTV to MVR: The Role of Personalized User Experiences and Interaction Design in Interactive Virtual Reality Music Videos(2023-05-12) Alsaati, Arwa; DuBois, Luke; Nathanson, AlexMusic videos have a long history and have shaped popular culture. With the evolution of technology, music videos are also being transformed by virtual and augmented realities, and interactive audiovisual experiences. Interactive music videos have the potential to revolutionize the music and film industries by providing new ways for artists to interact with their audiences. In this paper, I apply a user-centered design methodology to investigate the topic of interactive music videos as a virtual reality (VR) experience, and to create a four-minute interactive music video experience that seeks to understand the significance of personalized experiences, user agency, and interactivity in this context. The project consists of various elements that can help alter the music videos experience in real-time as the user is venturing on the main guided experience of the video. One of the aims of this project is to get the user to experience the same music video in a different way each time, thus motivating users to go back to the experience again and experience it in an innovative way through each iterative experience.33 0Item Restricted The Emotional Experience of Residential Space Through Immaterial Culture(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-05) Alghamdi, Roia; Forlini, Francesca; Trelles, MariaMaterials may encompass an important element in interior design, but in fact, what constitutes the spaces and human behavior in themselves is the immaterial culture (the aggregate of values, mores, norms, etc., of a society; the ideational structure of a culture that provides the values and meanings by which it functions). The immaterial culture comprises the main element on which spaces and the distribution of activities are built, and through that, the materials are a translation that supports the functional and cultural perception of space. Through analyzing the immaterial culture, we can clearly and explicitly reflect culture through material elements. Understanding meanings, however, comes from immaterial elements that form the identities and heritage of other cultures and thus contributes to accepting difference. In the past decade, Saudi students have faced many hate crimes, which in some cases ended in deliberate murders because of stereotypes spread by false media. Due to the lack of communication between the two communities, this was and still is a stereotype that prevails to this day. In this thesis project, the two cultures will be integrated through the representation of the immaterial culture in the formation of a safe space that allows the sharing and understanding of Saudi culture in particular through the re-design and distribution of a townhouse in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.25 0Item Restricted تصميم برنامج ألعاب إلكترونية وفق نظرية جانييه وفاعليته في تنمية مهارات التفكير الرياضي والتحصيل لدى تلميذات المرحلة الابتدائية بالمملكة العربية السعودية(Saudi Digital Library, 2014) Al-Shammari, Salma Katib ; Elgazzar, Abdellatif Elsafy; Nouby, Ahmed Mohamedهدف البحث إلى الكشف عن فاعلية تصميم برنامج ألعاب إلكترونية - وفق نظرية جانبيه – في تنمية مهارات التفكير الرياضي ، والتحصيل في الرياضيات لدى تلميذات المرحلة الابتدائية بالمملكة العربية السعودية، لذا تم تبني منهج البحث التطويري، واختيار عينة البحث من (69) تلميذة من تلميذات الصف الخامس الابتدائي بمدارس جامعة الملك فهد للبترول والمعادن، بطريقة قصدية عنقودية من ثلاثة فصول (شعب). وتم استخدام التصميم شبه التجريبي المكون من مجموعتين تجريبيتين ومجموعة ضابطة مع القياس القبلي والبعدي، وتم تقسيم عينة البحث إلى ثلاث مجموعات متساوية ، وتم تخصيصها عشوائياً لثلاث مجموعات مجموعة تجريبية 1 ألعاب إلكترونية وفق نظرية جانييه)، ومجموعة تجريبية 2 ألعاب إلكترونية بدون نظرية جانييه)، ومجموعة ضابطة؛ بواقع (23) تلميذة لكل مجموعة. وقد تم اختيار وحدة من مقرر الرياضيات وتحليل محتواها لاشتقاق مهارات التفكير الرياضي ، وجوانب التحصيل فيها، وتم اشتقاق قائمة لمعايير التصميم التعليمي لبرنامج الألعاب الإلكترونية، وتم تطوير برنامجين للألعاب الإلكترونية: الأول وفق نظرية جانييه ، والآخر من دونها بنموذج الجزار (2002). وتم التحكيم على مطابقتها لتلك المعايير. وتم تطوير أداتي البحث اختبار مهارات التفكير الرياضي ، واختبار التحصيل في الرياضيات ، والتأكيد على صدقهما وثباتهما؛ وتم تنفيذ تجربة البحث وفق التصميم التجريبي، بحيث تعلمت المجموعة التجريبية الأولى ببرنامج الألعاب الإلكترونية وفق نظرية جانييه، وتعلمت المجموعة التجريبية الثانية ببرنامج الألعاب الإلكترونية من دون نظرية جانييه، وتعلمت المجموعة الضابطة بالطريقة المعتادة، وتم تطبيق أداتي البحث قبلياً وبعدياً؛ وتم معالجة بيانات البحث بالأساليب الإحصائية المناسبة ببرنامج (SPSS) لاختبار فرضيات البحث وعددها (10) فروض ، وعرض النتائج. وقد كشفت نتائج البحث عن فاعلية برنامج الألعاب الإلكترونية وفق نظرية جانبيه) في تنمية مهارات التفكير الرياضي، وعن الإجابة عن السؤال الرئيسي للبحث بأنه يوجد أثر لاستخدام برنامج الألعاب الالكترونية وفق نظرية جانييه في تنمية مهارات التفكير الرياضي لدى تلميذات المرحلة الابتدائية في مادة الرياضيات، بينما لا يوجد أثر له في التحصيل في الرياضيات، وتتضمنت الأطروحة الجداول، والأشكال ، والمراجع ، والملاحق ، والتوصيات، وقائمة مقترحة من البحوث المستقبلة.290 0